PDP opens umbrella for over 8000 APC defectors

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, says its umbrella is large enough to accommodate over 8000 All Progressives Congress, APC, members in Rivers State, including leaders of the APC, who decided to come back home to join the development of the state under Gov. Nyesom Wike.

A press statement issued yesterday by Jerry Needam, the PDP spokesman, said that the APC defectors were led by the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s Chief Political Strategist, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh.

He said that Chief Emeh’s bold move had further opened the door for many more defectors from the APC across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, noting that the latest members of the APC decampees came from Asari-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas of the State.

Jerry Needam noted that Chief Emeh, a former Senior Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner for Transport and Aviation during Governor Odili administration and Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, had since his return to the PDP, coordinated the daily defections of members and leaders of the APC to the PDP.

He listed the defectors to include the over 200 former Councilors of the APC, who were sacked by the Court, former SA to Amaechi on Internal Revenue, Nwankwo Nwankwo, former Commissioner for Culture under Rotimi Amaechi, Sunny Nwokekoro, APC Leader in ONELGA, Merino Okiraija, former Chairman of Emohua LGA, Bob Okala, and numerous non-indigenes residing in the various LGAs who left the APC, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP in Rivers, Bro. Felix Obuah has told a crowd at the party’s State Secretariat that all was now set for the official reception of over 8000 decampees from the APC. The event shall hold on Thursday, April 13, 2017 in Port Harcourt.

The PDP Chairman disclosed that Governor Wike will formally receive the APC decampees.
Bro. Obuah announced this when he received APC decampees from Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas.
The leader of the decampees from Akulga who was a former leader of the LGA Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosama Amachree, at the event, accused former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and Councilors of the APC into instituting legal action against the government of Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as a gimmick to make the State ungovernable.

The PDP spokesman said that another ‘big fish’ caught by the PDP dragnet was the Vice Chairman in Degema LGA, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma who stormed the PDP Secretariat with hundreds of supporters.

He said that PDP believed that the only remnants, which include Rotimi Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Magnus Abe, Chris Fynebone, the Abuja-based party Chairman, Davies Ikanya, and their followers, were only holding on because of shame and fear of not being re-admitted under the PDP umbrella.

Bro. Obuah assured members of the APC sinking boat to take advantage of the spacious and well-ventilated ‘umbrella’ to commence the process of their home-coming, as the party was ready to receive them, “if they genuinely repent of their sins against Rivers people and be ready to key into the development vision and good governance championed by Gov. Nyesom Wike in the State.”

The Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro Obuah also announced that some former commissioners who served under Rotimi Amaechi as well as some of his personal aides, including some leaders of the State APC whom he claimed have also indicated interest to decamp to the PDP and participate in the reception party on Thursday in Port Harcourt.